Single-dose tube



Feb. 14, 1939.Y f H. l|=1 ,TEMPLE Y y.2,146,921

SINGLE-DOSE TUBE Find Aug. 20,'1958 Patente Fe. i4, 1%3

`SINGLETDSE TUBE Harold F. Temple, Freeport, N. Y., assigner to VictorMetal Products Corporation, Brooklyn, MAY., a. corporation of New YorkApplication .august zo, 193s, serian No. 225,998

7 Claims.

This invention relates to single dose containers and more particularly'to containers incorporating a readily frangible section.

Prior to the instant invention, it has been proposedr that containers beprovided with frangible areas but such containers have been awkward topuncture requiring special equipment and have been generally found to beunsatisfactory` Other prior containers having frangible areas have beenrelatively diiiicult to puncture' by. reason of their `inferiororganization.

It has also been proposed that single dose containers be fabricated witha section permitting rupture by the Enger-nail but practice hasdemonstrated that such devices have a tendency to rupture prematurelyandtherefore are unsatisfactory for general use.

It is an object of the invention to provide a single dose containerhaving a readily frangible section adapted to be easily ruptured by thenger-nail and located in a plane at variance with the exterior surfaceof the container.

It isa further object of the invention to provide a single dosecollapsible tube having a readily frangible area adapted to be rupturedby the fingernail lwhich frangible area is protected against prematurerupture.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the upper portion ofthe tube.

Fig 2 isa view similar to Fig. 1, 'with the Fig. 6 is a view similar toFig.;5 with the n.

frangible sectionruptured. v l

Referring to the drawing, a collapsible tube it comprising'a bodyportion II, a frustrorconical portion I2, and a teat-like protuberanceI3 is formed with a slot IQ in its` upper portion. The

substantially cylindrical side walls! l5 of the teatlike protuberance I3are formed Witha rounded or curvedhead portion I5 of relatively thicksection as' compared with the curved frangible wall I1 which forms thelower surface of the slot lli. The inner .faces of the/walls I8 whichform the side walls ofthe slot Mi are spaced apart sumciently toaccommodate the iingernail of the user of the tube whereby a flick ofthe thumbnail across the frangible section Il in a direction of the axisof the slot Iii, will producea discharge opening in the tube IB, andupon compression of the body II of the tube, the material with which thetube is filled Will be ejected from the slit-like opening I9, see Figs.2 and 6 which illus- 5 trate the/ tube after rupture of the frangiblesection. v

With the frangible section I'l having a curved section, as illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3, the same is adapted to be readily sheared by thefingernail 10 and yet sufcient strength is embodied in the structure atthe slot .Id whereby premature rupture is prevented. 'I'his strengthinherent in 'the structure is due inpart to the location of thefrangibie section Il in a plane at variance with 15 the external surfaceof the -head portion vIii of the teat-like protuberance I3.

It is to be' noted that the frangible section Il does not extend'to theouter circumferential margin 20 of the head portion I6, yet the slot Iddoes 20 extend to this margin whereby though the slot may be readilylocated by the fingernail yet the small edge portions 2! of thefrangible `section are not weakened asfthey would be if they extended tothe outer margin 20. 25

The structure recited above has been found to be capable of beingfilled, stored and handled Without premature rupture and also is an'.improvement over prior tubes which had a tendency to develop leaks andotherwise prove unsatisfac- 3o tory for practical purposes. 1

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in my device Withoutl departing from the spirit of theinvention* and therefore l do not linut myself to what 35 is` shown inthe drawing and described in the specification-but only asv indicated bythe appended claims.

I claim: I

v 1. A single dose container including a protu- 4o berance having aconvex curved head portion incorporating a convex curved frangiblesection 'located in a plane at variance .with the external groovecomprising a convex frangible section, 50

whereby the frangible section may be ruptured by a flick of the thumbnail guided by the Walls of the groove therethrough.

3. A-container comprising a body portion and a protuberance having aconvex curved head por- 55 tion, said head portion being formed with atransverse groove extending to substantiallyA the upper outer margins ofsaid protuberance, a convex like protuberance comprising a cylindricalportion and a head portion, said head portion beingrounded and `beingformed with a transverse groove in its upper surface extending to theouter margins of said protuberance, the lower portion of said groovebeing formed with a relatively thin frangible area extending along theaxis of said groove butv being spaced from the outer margins of same andbeing curved, whereby the vsaid readily frangible area may be rupturedby a iiick of the thumbnail and the unruptured container be of suilcientstrengthto prevent premature failure.

5. In a single dose collapsible tube, a body portion, a frusto-conicalsection, a protuberance extending irom said frusta-conical section andbeingaxially aligned therewith, said protuberance including a convexcurved head portion and formed with a transverse groovel the lowerporytion and a protuberance,' said protuberance including a headportion, said head portion being formed with a transverse groove, thelower portion of said groove being formed with a. relatively thin convexcurved frangible area extending along the axis of said groove, wherebythe said readily convex curved frangible area may be ruptured by a nickof the thumb nail guided by the walls of the groove therethrough.

'7. A single dose collapsible tube comprising a body portion and aprotuberance, said protuber-v ance including a head portion formed witha transverse groove, the lower portion of said groove being formed witha'relatively frangible area hav-A ing symmetrical portions vslopingoutwardly and downwardly in opposite directions and axially of' saidgroove, whereby the readily frangible area may be'ruptured by a flick ofthe thumb nail guided by the -walls of the groove therethrough.

